Featured Projects
CircusWA creates pathways for young people with disability, Aboriginal young people and aspiring young artists to participate, develop and thrive through circus and the arts.
Since 2022, Sarah has worked alongside CircusWA to strengthen the organisation’s fundraising, strategy and impact, helping build the foundations for more sustainable growth and investment.
We repositioned CircusWA’s fundraising case and have developed and delivered six annual appeals and Giving Day campaigns, consistently meeting or exceeding fundraising targets. Through stronger storytelling, audience segmentation, donor stewardship and consistent campaign messaging, CircusWA has grown its donor base, attracted new supporters and strengthened donor retention.
Our work has extended beyond campaigns. Sarah developed CircusWA’s Strategic Plans, worked with the Board to strengthen fundraising capability, and supported the organisation to successfully secure charitable status and DGR endorsement — an important step in opening new philanthropic and fundraising opportunities.
We also developed CircusWA’s approach to impact measurement, embedding Culture Counts and the Social and Emotional Wellbeing through the Arts (SEW Arts) framework to strengthen how the organisation captures, understands and communicates the outcomes of its work with young people. This evidence has been integrated into fundraising, grant applications, donor communications and impact reporting.
This stronger strategic, fundraising and impact foundation has contributed to significant funding outcomes, including securing a $100,000 Fremantle Foundation grant for the Social Circus Academy, alongside consistently successful appeals and increased philanthropic opportunities.
The result is a stronger and more funder-ready organisation — with clear strategic direction, greater fundraising capability, stronger evidence of impact, an expanded donor base and more diverse opportunities for sustainable funding.
CircusWA
Encounter is a theatre company empowering CaLD and First Nations artists to shape the stories we tell.
Sarah worked with Encounter to strengthen its philanthropic positioning and build a more strategic approach to fundraising, beginning with the development of a compelling Case for Support, prospect identification and major donor strategy.
This work was put into action through Encounter’s Creative Australia PLUS1 campaign. We developed the campaign strategy, narrative and digital approach, bringing together major donor engagement, Board and Founder networks, community giving, partnerships, communications and media to build momentum and maximise the matched-funding opportunity.
The campaign exceeded its fundraising target, achieved 74% new donor acquisition and secured four new major partners — significantly expanding Encounter’s philanthropic network beyond its existing supporters. The campaign video and coordinated communications strategy also generated significant media interest, extending the campaign’s visibility and reach to new audiences.
Importantly, the campaign was designed to deliver more than a one-off fundraising result. It tested and strengthened Encounter’s philanthropic proposition, built the organisation’s confidence and capability to engage donors, and established new relationships and a stronger pipeline for future fundraising.
The result was more funding, a significantly expanded donor base, new major partners, greater visibility and a stronger foundation for long-term philanthropic growth.
Encounter
Embraced connects generations through arts, culture and creativity.
We developed Embraced’s Strategic Plan, messaging and positioning, creating a clear foundation for how the organisation communicates its purpose, impact and future direction.
We designed a practical Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Framework aligned to Embraced’s Theory of Change and two complementary measurement frameworks. Importantly, we translated these into simple, achievable data collection that could be embedded into everyday delivery — giving Embraced stronger evidence of its impact without creating an unnecessary reporting burden.
We also developed a Lived Experience Framework, demonstrating how lived experience is embedded across the organisation and will continue to shape its work into the future, strengthening alignment with funder expectations.
This strategic and impact work was then carried through into fundraising, including the design and delivery of Embraced’s Annual Appeal and stronger, evidence-led funding applications.
Embraced
Spay It Forward is a program of WA Pet Project, supporting struggling pet owners across Western Australia with accessible veterinary care that reduces animal suffering and prevents pet overpopulation.
With more than 300 applications received in just three days, the need for Spay It Forward was clear — as was the need to grow and diversify funding to meet significant community demand.
We undertook a fundraising readiness audit and developed the program’s Logic Model, messaging framework and fundraising strategy. Rather than pursuing every possible source of income, we developed staged income diversification strategies aligned to where the organisation was at, its capacity and the opportunities most likely to deliver results.
We strengthened the case for support and funding applications, identified prospective funding opportunities, and provided practical coaching to build the team’s confidence and capability in making the ask and having donor and partner conversations.
This work helped move Spay It Forward from fundraising readiness to action, including securing its first corporate partnership, while establishing a stronger foundation for attracting the investment needed to grow the program’s reach and impact.
WA Pet Project:
Spay it Forward Program
Cherished Pets Foundation supports people with pets experiencing crisis, including family violence, homelessness, disability, ageing and mental health challenges, supporting them to navigate support for themselves and their cherished pets.
Sarah was initially engaged to develop the Foundation’s Theory of Change and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Framework. That project evolved into a four-year fractional leadership partnership, with Sarah stepping into the role of Chief Impact Officer, working alongside the Founder and Board to lead and strengthen the organisation.
A key focus was building a more sustainable and diversified funding model. Sarah developed and led the Foundation’s fundraising and income diversification strategy, growing philanthropy, major giving, regular giving, appeals, Gifts in Wills, corporate partnerships and government funding. Outcomes included the Foundation’s first multi-year philanthropic commitment, first national corporate partnership, renewed government funding and 25% year-on-year growth in regular giving.
At the same time, Sarah strengthened the organisation needed to support that growth — establishing staffing and payroll, strengthening financial management, systems and operations, overseeing budgets and forecasting, and integrating the Foundation’s social enterprise. She worked closely with the Board on governance oversight, Board and fundraising coaching, and subcommittee reporting, strengthening accountability and organisational decision-making.
Impact, communications and engagement were also embedded across the work. Sarah led impact reporting, stakeholder communications and marketing, ensuring evidence of need and outcomes informed fundraising propositions, donor stewardship, partnership development, advocacy and communications.
Across the four years, cross-sector partnerships increased by 50%, volunteer engagement grew by 79% and regular giving increased by 25% year on year, alongside new multi-year, corporate and government funding.
The result was a stronger and more financially sustainable organisation — with diversified income, strengthened systems and operations, increased organisational capability, stronger support for Board governance and decision-making, clearer evidence of impact, and a solid foundation for long-term growth.
Cherished Pets Foundation
